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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2020; 78(05): 247-254
DOI: 10.1590/0004-282X20190196
ARTICLE

Seizures in patients with respiratory disease - a retrospective single center study

Convulsões em pacientes com doença respiratória - estudo retrospectivo de centro único
Senay AYDIN 
1   Department of Neurology, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
,
Cengiz ÖZDEMIR 
2   Department of Pulmonology, Yedikule Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey.
,
Ayşegül GÜNDÜZ 
3   Department of Neurology, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
,
Meral E. KIZILTAN 
3   Department of Neurology, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa, Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul, Turkey.
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ABSTRACT

Objective: Seizures are a neurological condition commonly experienced during the follow-up period after systemic or metabolic disorders. The aim of the present study was to determine the etiological factors of seizures in patients at a tertiary care chest clinic. Methods: We reviewed all neurology consultations that were requested due to seizures in inpatient clinics in a tertiary care hospital specializing in respiratory disorders between January 2011 and January 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The present study included 705 of 2793 (25.2%) patients who requested consultations for seizures during the study period. The mean age of the sample was 64.05±17.19 years. Of the 705 patients, 307 (43.5%) had a previous history of epilepsy (Group I) and 398 (56.5%) had a first-time seizure and were considered to have symptomatic seizures (Group II). Multiple factors played roles in the development of seizures in 54.8% of the patients. In most patients, metabolic causes, systemic infections, and drug use were identified and an intracranial metastatic mass lesion was the major cause in patients with lung cancer. Rates of hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis were significantly higher in patients with symptomatic seizures (Group II) than in patients with primary epilepsy (Group I). Conclusions: Blood gas changes such as hypoxemia and respiratory acidosis were among the factors statistically associated with the development of symptomatic seizures in patients with respiratory diseases. Additionally, hypoxemia, hypercapnia, and respiratory acidosis were correlated with mortality in patients hospitalized for respiratory system diseases who requested consultations for seizures.

RESUMO

Objetivo: Convulsões são uma condição neurológica comumente vivenciada durante o período de acompanhamento após distúrbios sistêmicos ou metabólicos. O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar os fatores etiológicos das convulsões em pacientes de uma clínica torácica de atendimento terciário. Métodos: Foram revisadas retrospectivamente todas as consultas neurológicas solicitadas devido a convulsões em clínicas de internação em um hospital terciário especializado em distúrbios respiratórios entre janeiro de 2011 e janeiro de 2018. Resultados: O presente estudo incluiu 705 dos 2.793 (25,2%) pacientes que solicitaram consultas para convulsões durante o período do estudo. A idade média da amostra foi de 64,05±17,19 anos. Dos 705 pacientes, 307 (43,5%) tinham história prévia de epilepsia (Grupo I) e 398 (56,5%) tiveram uma convulsão inicial e foram considerados como tendo crises sintomáticas (Grupo II). Vários fatores desempenharam papel no desenvolvimento de convulsões em 54,8% dos pacientes. Na maioria dos pacientes, causas metabólicas, infecções sistêmicas e uso de drogas foram identificadas e uma lesão em massa metastática intracraniana foi a principal causa em pacientes com câncer de pulmão. As taxas de hipoxemia e acidose respiratória foram significativamente maiores em pacientes com crises sintomáticas (Grupo II) do que em pacientes com epilepsia primária (Grupo I). Conclusões: Alterações dos gases sanguíneos, como hipoxemia e acidose respiratória, foram alguns dos fatores estatisticamente associados ao desenvolvimento de convulsões sintomáticas em pacientes com doenças respiratórias. Além disso, hipoxemia, hipercapnia e acidose respiratória foram correlacionadas com a mortalidade em pacientes hospitalizados por doenças do sistema respiratório que solicitaram consultas para convulsões.

Keywords:

seizures - respiratory diseases - hypoxemia - hypercapnia - respiratory acidosis

Palavras-chave:

convulsões - doenças respiratórias - hipóxia - hipercapnia - acidose respiratória


Publication History

Received: 03 October 2019

Accepted: 22 November 2019

Article published online:
13 June 2023

© 2020. Academia Brasileira de Neurologia. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commecial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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